People often ask how I transitioned from a Ph.D. track in Astrophysics at UPenn to a career in Venture Capital. The answer is actually not unintuitive – I spent most of my academic career building software for astronomy research, leveraging machine learning “before it was cool” to detect supernovae. When Insight allowed me to leverage my technical training and build relationships with founders on the cutting edge of infrastructure software, I felt it was more like an adventure than a job.
I joined Insight as a summer intern in 2012 and am proud to have spent the first decade of my professional career working my way up the ladder from Analyst to Partner. In that time, I’ve helped Insight navigate our own ScaleUp journey, growing our headcount and fund size by over 10x. Our commitment to partnering with the best software companies and founders across multiple stages and sectors has remained remarkably consistent during my time here.
It’s needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway. The last decade has been a remarkable time to be an investor in infrastructure. Cybersecurity went from IT backwater to board room priority, infrastructure transformed from CapEx (buy your mainframe!) to OpEx (rent your cloud!), and software developers became the most desirable (if still fickle) buyer audience on the planet. To have a front-row seat helping these entrepreneurs seize the market opportunities that these paradigm shifts present, has been nothing short of a gift.
I’ve had the privilege of investing in companies that have gone on to achieve exceptional outcomes, including nearly a dozen liquidity events. Five of my investments have gone on to realize an IPO (Tenable, JFrog, Darktrace, 1stdibs, SentinelOne), and four have had successful strategic exits (Thycotic, Nearpod, Cylance, QASymphony). But I’ve also had the chance to make more than a few mistakes along the way and work through some challenging experiences – all of which have shaped me into the investor I am today.
I want to be my CEO’s first call in good times and bad and to make the fundraising process a little more certain and enjoyable for founders and entrepreneurs who are transforming their industries. Fun is possible in all aspects of life, whether in Venture Capital or (especially) when I’m playing bass for the acclaimed NYC cover band The Petty Toms, which plays hits from The Beatles to Bruno Mars.
I joined Insight as a summer intern in 2012 and am proud to have spent the first decade of my professional career working my way up the ladder from Analyst to Partner. In that time, I’ve helped Insight navigate our own ScaleUp journey, growing our headcount and fund size by over 10x. Our commitment to partnering with the best software companies and founders across multiple stages and sectors has remained remarkably consistent during my time here.
It’s needless to say, but I’ll say it anyway. The last decade has been a remarkable time to be an investor in infrastructure. Cybersecurity went from IT backwater to board room priority, infrastructure transformed from CapEx (buy your mainframe!) to OpEx (rent your cloud!), and software developers became the most desirable (if still fickle) buyer audience on the planet. To have a front-row seat helping these entrepreneurs seize the market opportunities that these paradigm shifts present, has been nothing short of a gift.
I’ve had the privilege of investing in companies that have gone on to achieve exceptional outcomes, including nearly a dozen liquidity events. Five of my investments have gone on to realize an IPO (Tenable, JFrog, Darktrace, 1stdibs, SentinelOne), and four have had successful strategic exits (Thycotic, Nearpod, Cylance, QASymphony). But I’ve also had the chance to make more than a few mistakes along the way and work through some challenging experiences – all of which have shaped me into the investor I am today.
I want to be my CEO’s first call in good times and bad and to make the fundraising process a little more certain and enjoyable for founders and entrepreneurs who are transforming their industries. Fun is possible in all aspects of life, whether in Venture Capital or (especially) when I’m playing bass for the acclaimed NYC cover band The Petty Toms, which plays hits from The Beatles to Bruno Mars.
